The Buffalo-based bank had just one region in New York, the upstate territory led by Albany-based Peter Cosgrove. Its purchase last May of more than 100 former HSBC branches bolstered its position in the Hudson Valley and Connecticut, triggering the need for separate leadership. It now has 26 offices in the Hudson Valley and 14 in Fairfield County. There are no branches in New Jersey, but First Niagara serves the market as a commercial lender.